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LEONARD S. SWETT AND JAMES GRAHAM, OF VASSAR, MICHIGAN.

Letters Patent No. 81,557, dated August 25, 1868.

l IMPROVED GATE POR TURBINE WATER-WHEELS.

dit .brigitte feierten tu in tinte Enters what :uit mating artt nt tte sume.

To ALL WHoM iT MAY coNcERN:

Be it known that we, LEONARD S. SwETT and JAMES GRAHAM, of Vassar, in the county of Tuscola, and State of Michigan, Ihave invented a. new andvaluable Improvement in Guide and Gate for Turbine Water-Wheel; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and op'era tion of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and gnres of reference marked thereon. l

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of an external view of our device.

Figure 2 is a side view thereof, and

Figure 3 is a plan view, with the guide-plate removed.

. Figure 4 shows details.

The objectA of our invention is to construct and combine, in one form or machine, a gate and guide for water-wheels, that shall be more perfect in construction and more eiiicient in operation than any similar device heretofore known or invented.

To this end, we constructan'd combine a guide and gate inv the form shown on the drawings, and whichis particularly described, as'follows: l v l The letterl A is a guide-plate, adjusted at ,its centre to the hollow shaft B, around which it is allowed to move in a circle, so far as it is permitted by the mechanism hereinafter described.

Letter B is a hollow shaft, attached firmly to the centreof the bottom plate of the gui-de G, hereinafter mentioned, and extends upward through the guide-plate A. Its oHiee' is mainly to serve as a. holder for the upright shaft of 'the water-wheel, and as an axle, around which the said'guide-plate may rotate.

Letter-s0 are circular slots in guide-platesA, the oiiice of which lis to receive and regulate the movements of the guide-pins, hereinafter set forth.

Letters D 'are guide-pins, which are respectively attached to the gates ynext mentioned, and move back and forth in the slots C.

4 .Our gates are usually eight in number, constructed in a triangular form, as shown on fig. 3 They are adjusted on the top of the guide, in the manner shown on iig. 3, four of 'them moving o n the extreme upper surface of the gnirle, andl four iu the niches shown thereon.

On the lower side of these gates respectively, We aihx four lugs, marke-d c c c e ou g. 4, which are adjusted to the water-guides proper, two o'f which' are placed on each side thereof, and serve, in conjunction with 'the slots and pins above montioned, to regulate the movements of the gates.

For purposes of convenience. we callvthis aggregation of gates the gate E. TheyI may be increased or diminished at the will of the machinist, but we find the number herein shown to'be more convenient and-useful than any other number we have yet experimented with.

We call all that portion of ourl device shown below thc gate, the guide G, and of which the letter g isthc water-guide proper. Y

Letter H is a ratchet, attached to the -upper side of the guide-plate A, at or near its periphery.

Letter K is a cog-wheel, that meshes with the cogs on ratchet H.

Letter L is a pinion-shaft, that is nttachedto and extends upwards from cog-wheel K into the mill, and it is by turning this shaft forwards or backwards, as the case may require, that the gate is opened or closed.

Letter M is an arm, that extends from the hollow tube surrounding shaft K to a similar tube surrounding i V the hollow shaft B.

.Letter w is'a washer, placed below the -last-mcntionedtube, and above the guide-plate A.

Our device is operated as follows, namely:

The botten plate ofthe guide G is placed in the bottom of the flume, directly over a turbine water-wheel, resting on the curbing, with the water-wheel shaft running up through the hollow shaft B, The pinion-shaft L extends upward into the mill,.and to the top thereof a governor is attached, by which it is operated.

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It' the operator moves the governorin' one direction, the shaft L actuates the cog-wheel and ratchet in such manner that the gates are drawn inward, und the water from the nme passes directly through the guides proper on to the wheel, and, at the same instant, produces a. pressure upon every bucket thereof.

To close the gate and shut oif the water, we reverse the movement of the governor.

In gates und guides heretofore-used, the water travels from eight to twelve feet, after it leeves the flume,

`before it strikes the Wheel, thereby cusing foam and loss of power; while by this device, with the waterwithin a. few inches of the wheel, scarcely any foam is created, and no power lost.

Another great advantage gained by our guide and gato is, the instant the gute js opened, an unbroken circle of water falls upongthe wheel, and actuates every bucket alike, thereby causing an instantaneous movement thereof, and of the entire machinery operated thereby.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A combined gate and guide for water-wheels, having gate E, guide G, guide-plate A, slots C, guide-pins D, lugs c e c c, ratchet H, cog-wheel K, and shafts L and B, constructed, rrenged, and operating substantially as specified. v

In testimony that we claim the above, we have hereunto subscribed our names lin the presence of two witnesses.

LEONARD S. SWETT,

JAMES GRAHAM.

Witnesses:

B. W. HUsToN, Jr., JOHN JoHNsoN. 

